How <span class="success-header_pink-highlight">Nimstrata</span> Helped <span class="success-header_green-highlight">The Bee's Knees</span> Increase Conversion Rate by 20.6%

Background: Bringing British Charm to the Digital World

For years, The Bee’s Knees British Imports has been a beloved haven for those who adore British culture. Known for its thoughtfully curated collection of British-made goods, the shop has long been a favorite among Anglophiles. Walking into their West Acton, Massachusetts, storefront feels like stepping into a cozy British tea room—warm, inviting, and delightfully nostalgic right in the middle of New England.

But when it came to their online presence? Successfully finding products was difficult. 

Despite an exceptional product lineup, the website wasn’t delivering the same effortless, charming experience as their physical store. Unfortunately, customers browsing online weren’t finding what they needed as easily, so the Bee’s Knees team set out on a mission with their agency, 36, to update their search and filtering app to provide a more intuitive, engaging shopping experience that mirrored the magic of their brick-and-mortar shop.

The Challenge: Improving the Product Discovery Experience

No matter how beautifully curated a store is, it won’t matter if customers can’t find what they’re looking for.

For The Bee’s Knees, this was a growing issue. Visitors to the website were struggling to locate products quickly and efficiently. The core problem? The current search experience provided by Boost Commerce wasn’t intuitive. Customers were searching and clicking around, but not always converting into buyers. Two major issues stood out:

1. The search function wasn’t user-friendly, leading to low conversion rates, frustration, and abandoned carts.
2. Search queries often led to “No Results Found” pages, meaning potential customers weren’t always seeing the products they desired—costing the store valuable sales.

The Solution: A Smarter, More Intuitive Search App

The Bee’s Knees agency, 36, suggested that the brand try Nimstrata’s Retail Cloud Connect app, powered by Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Search for Commerce.

By integrating an AI-powered search solution into their Shopify store by the world’s largest search provider, The Bee’s Knees set out to make product discovery effortless. Instead of a clunky, hit-or-miss search function, customers would now be guided intuitively to exactly what they wanted - even if product data was missing.

So, what makes Google’s Vertex AI Search for Commerce so special?

• Dynamic Facets: Filters update in real time based on user queries, so customers only see the most relevant filter options—no dead ends or overwhelming choices.
• Real-Time Adaptability: The AI learns from product and user behavior, refining search results on the fly to match intent and inventory.
• Seamless Shopify Integration: Nimstrata’s app allows Vertex AI to blend naturally into the existing store’s design, ensuring a smooth and cohesive shopping experience across all devices.

By reducing friction in the online shopping journey, The Bee’s Knees made it easier for customers to go from browsing to buying.

Testing the Impact: A/B Testing with Shoplift

To measure the effectiveness of the new AI-powered search, The Bee’s Knees leveraged the expertise of their Shopify agency, 36, to run a detailed A/B test using Shoplift.

For five weeks, website visitors were split into two groups and split 50/50 across desktop and mobile devices:

• Group A experienced the original Boost Commerce app on search and collection pages.
• Group B offered the same pages, but powered by Vertex AI Search for Commerce.

Shoplift’s Role in Making Testing Easy

Shoplift’s Theme Testing functionality allowed The Bee’s Knees to deploy the A/B test without the need for heavy development work. They could toggle between different search implementations seamlessly within their Shopify theme, ensuring customers had a consistent experience while allowing for precise data collection.

Additionally, Shoplift’s analytics provided granular insights, enabling The Bee’s Knees to segment performance metrics by:

• New vs. returning visitors
• Device type (mobile vs. desktop)
• Geographical trends

This level of deep analysis ensured that The Bee’s Knees could fully understand and optimize Google’s AI-driven search solution across their customer base.

The Results: Higher Conversions, Less Friction

After five weeks, the data spoke loud and clear:

• +20.6% Increase in Conversion Rate (CVR): The AI-driven search and discovery solution led to a significant uplift in conversions.
• 99% Confidence Level: Statistical analysis confirmed the reliability of the results, indicating a dramatic lift in driving more conversions.
• Growing Probability to Win: Over time, Google’s AI models improved significantly, demonstrating the power of machine learning in refining search experiences.

For small business owners and ecommerce managers alike, these results weren’t just a small win, but a clear sign that Google’s Vertex AI Search for Commerce was leaving competitors in the dust.

A Bright Future for AI-Driven Ecommerce

The Bee's Knees British Imports’ collaboration with Nimstrata and 36, facilitated by Shoplift’s A/B testing, demonstrates the transformative potential of Google’s Vertex AI Search for Commerce. By enhancing product discovery, they not only improved conversion rates but also elevated the overall customer experience.

At the heart of this transformation was a simple truth: when customers can find what they need effortlessly, they’re far more likely to buy.

The impressive 20.6% boost in conversions wasn’t just a happy accident; it was the direct result of using Google’s AI-powered search to enhance product discovery.

For ecommerce brands looking to optimize their digital storefronts, the lesson is clear: Implementing Google’s AI-driven search solutions can significantly enhance product discovery and drive revenue growth.

• Invest in smarter search tools.
• Use data-driven testing to refine the experience.
• Ensure your online store feels just as inviting as a physical boutique.

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